.

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Once
again we owe Tom a big thanks for running the LP. He did a great
job, and we had around 50 people show up.

The
songs are now available for FREE download, and you can vote for your favorite
entries as well. Many of you will be asking friends and family to support you in
the popular vote. That's great, but when you do, please ask them to listen to
all the songs & vote for their favorites. You can vote for up to 5 different
people, so they might as well listen to everyone.

Until
the round 2 songs are posted I will only allow people to download the round 1
album as a whole. But even after that, PLEASE download the entire album vs
downloading just a handful of songs while the contest is on going. BandCamp
limits how many free downloads I can give away, and 1 album download counts the
same as 1 song download.After the Listening party ended, some of us hung out in a Google+ hang out awhile (1) (2). If you want to drop into our next hangout you can add me to your circles & I'll add you my SpinTunes circle. Also, we have a private Facebook group that any song contributor to the contest is allowed to join. I'd love to see you all there joining in on the conversations.

With
30 entries turned in for round 1, that means there will be 8 eliminations in
Round 1 and 9 eliminations in rounds 2 and 3. That would leave 4 finalists for
round 4. Good luck everyone.

You
can find the album on BandCamp by clicking the image below:

(Album
cover by Matt Schubbe)

-
You can vote for your favorite songs with the poll in the right sidebar.
-->- Popular vote stays open until noon on February 2nd (Sat)

- Judges & guest judges have until noon on February 2nd before noon (Sat) to hand in their reviews.

- Spintown will post the Reviews & Eliminations before 11PM on February 2nd (Sat).

- February 3rd 1AM (Sun) - Second Challenge is announced.

Videos:

If
anyone wants to make a video for their song, Spintown will include it
here:

Monday, January 28, 2013

Sorry this is late, but I had to get up at 2:30AM today, so I went to bed last night before posting this.For now you should know:- There are 30 official entries on the album & 1 shadow. (unless more come in)- I think I responded to all e-mails (eventually).- The listening party will be hosted by Tom on U-stream tonight. It's at 8PM.Listening Party Location:http://www.ustream.tv/channel/spintunesDeadline Eliminations: Mariah Mercedes - Spencer Sokol - Elsewheres - Hannah-Rei - Matt Walton - Sid Brown - Denise Hudson - Youth Hostel - Summer - The Boffo Yux DudesThere will be 8 more judges eliminations to make this round. Good luck.(that means 9 eliminations in round 2 & 3)

Submitting Entries:
- Entries must be received by the given
deadline. Otherwise it'll be posted as a shadow. Received means that it has to
appear in my e-mail inbox by the given deadline. I will be going by the time
stamp on the e-mail in my inbox. PLEASE do not wait until the last hour to send
me something. If there is a blackout in your area, your computer crashes, or
your dog actually eats your thumb drive...I will not care. You are allowed to
send in a draft of your song early just in case something horrible happens &
you miss the deadline. Then you can add polish to your song & send in a
better version closer to the deadline. 1 minute late is still late
people.

- Title
of the e-mail should be the title of the Challenge & your band's
name.

- Include the song lyrics in the body of the e-mail. (If your song
doesn't have lyrics...consider yourself eliminated. Instrumentals can be pretty,
but SpinTunes does require lyrics.)

- Include information on anyone that
needs credited if you collabed with someone.

- If you have a BandCamp account, you can just send me a link to
your song on BandCamp if you include all the
info I mentioned above. Make sure you have it set as a free download, and have
it set so that I don't have to put in an e-mail to download it if you pick this
option. THIS IS THE BEST FILE SHARING OPTION!

- Other file sharing
options if you need them: YouSendIt, Sound Cloud & Drop Box. Please send an e-mail as I already
stated, but with the download link if you need one of these services. Please
follow directions so your file doesn't wind up in my spam or trash folder
accidentally.

Side Notes:
- Good luck everyone. I
don't care who wins, but I hope you all have fun & maybe even learn a little
something along the way.

- Remember that you are allowed to send in a little
background about your song. Some people don't like to do that, and you don't
have to, but if you want to write a couple sentences about your song I'll post
it on the BandCamp page for people to see. Some judges will look at the lyrics
& this extra info, but they aren't required to.

- If you didn't
sign-up in time to compete in SpinTunes #6, you can still complete the challenge
& send in a song. It'll be uploaded with the other entries as a "Shadow
Song". Check the FAQ if you don't know what that means. You can even complete
past challenges from previous contests.

Friday, January 18, 2013

If you waited until the last second to sign-up it's possible that your e-mail didn't show up in my inbox by the given deadline. I will check my e-mail again when I get home from work. If there were any that showed up late, but had the correct time stamp, I'll add them to the list. Keep in mind that even if you were late, we love to get shadows.

While you're waiting for the round 1 challenge to be posted, I suggest checking to make sure your links work. If you find one not working just let me know via e-mail & I'll fix it as soon as I can.

Round 2 Challenge: Song Fight - Write a fight song for your favorite sports TEAM. It doesn't have to be a professional team. This should be about the team, not 1 or 2 athletes working together. (1 minute minimum) (they had 8 days) (Results)

Round 4 Challenge: Mulligan - Write a protest song about the same topic you picked in round 3. (2 minute minimum) (they had 8 days) (Results)

(Profile order is based on who sent in their entry form first.)

Edric Haleen: Edric writes a lot of point-of-view songs. He has sung songs as an evangelical preacher, a Greek hero, a Jesuit priest, an engagement ring, a liver, a meme, and the moon. He has portrayed a despondent inventor, a frustrated songwriter, a would-be superhero (?), and Mother Culture. He’s sung both as a guy frustrated by NOT being in a relationship and by BEING in a relationship, as a romantic facing a tough choice -- and once he even (sort of) sung as himself! Care to know more? Visit his website!

Andy Glover: Hi, I’m Andy. I started playing acoustic guitar at the tender age of 13 and never really stopped. I got my start in songwriting after friends I’d made on youtube encouraged me to start writing my own songs rather than just posting covers. I’m a somewhat “spiritual” fellow, and I enjoy writing songs about the great unknown. And love songs. Those too. I hope some day to turn the touring musician life into a financially viable profession. I’m an avid concert goer and adore the Seattle folk scene.

MC Ohm-I: Originally from Brooklyn, NY (now residing in San Diego, CA), MC Ohm-I is an up-and-coming nerdcore rapper. Some of his biggest songs include "All Mah Math Nerds" and "Nerd You Up". His music is made purely for entertainment and he's shown is capable of writing about even the silliest things.

Kevin Savino-Riker: Kevin is the guitarist for the Write Bloody House Party 2 Band, formerly of the Lightbulb Mouth Radio Hour variety show and podcast in Long Beach, CA. He is also an unsigned and unknown independent musician on YouTube. Kevin has served as drummer, bassist, guitarist, and lead vocalist in a number of bands over the last 15 years, though never all at the same time. Kevin is the champion of the first Spintunes contest, and he is still uncomfortable writing about himself in the 3rd person.

The Orion Sound: Sup ma bros, ya be chillin’ wi’ the king o’ sound, biatch. Who dis be, you sayin’? Boy, youre about to find out! Ma name be Oliver Parsons and I’m up 4 spanking dem hoes left, right and cen’re. I got dis sick do on ma heyd dat makes me look like pussay magnet – and it works. I get dem bitches in ma car and show ‘em ma yootoob swag. Dey don’t know what’s hit ‘em (it’s usually ma pen15) and dem gurls (and guys when I feel like it) are just begging 4 mor’. I not got school smarts, cuz dey is 4 nurds, but ma street cred is off da chartz. Gimme yo’ support or I’ll steal ya fuckin’ cat so I can say I got ya pussy! Also I play music.

Ross Durand: Ross writes songs. He plays guitar and sings so that he can deliver his songs. He hopes his songs can make people think, laugh, and/or not feel alone in the world. Concerning Spintunes - there is a popular definition of insanity that says it is the state of doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting a different result. Apparently Ross is insane.

Steven Wesley Guiles: It's not every year an artist writes 70+ songs so that he can release 9 songs for his first solo album. It's also not always possible when said artist is a devoted husband, father of two, and a full-time middle school teacher. If you find Sufjan Stevens and Bon Iver good company, then you will be right at home pulling up a chair and a pair of earbuds and soaking his gorgeous records. He also likes to rock and write songs about tacos and exploding weasels So put THAT in your pipe and smoke it.

Jerry Skids: NYC songwriter who constantly style-jumps (from acoustic rock to nonsensical comedy to angry political punk to whatever else). Lead singer in anarcho-punk band Street Army Gospel and cover band Punk 77. He is currently working on his 6th solo album, Blame It On The Belmonts.

The Middle Relievers: The Middle Relievers were started in early January of 2013 by the forgotten memory of hundereds of professional pitchers who never were good enough to start, close, or set-up, but were needed to mop up large leads or horrific blow-outs. These men always had a tune in their heart while hoping to some day be something other then a frequently disregarded card with bubble gum. These memories were turned into the yet-to-be discovered sound that will soon be.

Vincent Black Shadow: I've loved, I've lost, I've loved again, I've been wary of losing love, love has stuck around, then it was lost, but then it came back, then it somehow was found naked in the back of a '76 Buick station wagon.

TurboShandy: Conjured from the mind of a disgruntled songwriter from Northern Ireland with no band in late 2011, TurboShandy is a one-man powerpop project inspired by alcohol, sugar, and girls. The music takes its cue from bands like Ramones, the Wildhearts, 90s/00s pop punk, post punk, and pretty much anything with big hooks they think cool. Their first mini-album, 'No Wonder No One Talks to Her' was released in August 2012 and a follow up is currently being written.

Glen Raphael: Though born hairless and unable to fend for himself, Glen Raphael overcame these humble beginnings to develop useful skills such as spinning fire, juggling, and writing funny songs about quantum physics, bedbugs, and gorillas. He sometimes wins awards doing it. You should buy his album _Lady Liberty_. Click the Band Website link! Click it! NOW!!!

The Boffo Yux Dudes: Humerus fellows. No bones about it. The Dudes reformed in 2009, creating music new music for the confused masses. Allan Morgan and Tom Giarrosso head this version of BYD with rabid optimism that they'll be remembered for more than just all those replays on Dr. Demento. We also do the Watusi.

Brandon Lorrekovich: If you had to sum Brandon Lorrekovich up in one word, it would have to be: All. All of the words would be needed to describe him, because his character is frightfully complex; his mind, a labyrinth of great wisdom and ‘90s film and television references. Brandon is highly regarded for his contributions to publications such as JET and Modern Falcon. He is being tested rigorously to prove he is the 'preincarnation' of Fergie's first born son, Keith. He also attends regular glass-staining seminars.

Brian Gray: My name is Brian Gray. I am soooo cute, but I am not good at doing the dishes 'cause I only do the dishes. I can walk on my hands and do a forward 1/2 pike. I like to feed my wife fried duck fat when she is on a diet. In return, she writes my bios for me.

T.C. Elliott: T.C. is a songwriter, guitarist, black belt in Songham TaeKwonDo and bald. He is a self taught guitarist and has played in local cover bands. He is currently a guitarist in the band Melancholy Trousers. T.C. has written well over 600 songs and at least one of them doesn't suck.

Josh Holober-Ward: "Josh has never understood why most bios are written in third person. He thinks it's weird that the person you're reading about is clearly just the same person that's writing. And what does the way they choose to use their precious 500 character limit say about themselves? The whole thing is just a big psychological mess.

Anyway, Josh is an aspiring musician with a penchant for overthinking things. He lives in a house of bacon with his two robot cats."

Dex01: Dex01 is a British, rock based, songwriter who has been writing music for almost two years, which qualifies him as a musician (it doesn’t). Inspired by Jonathan Coulton’s approach to writing and recording material, Dex decided to try and see if he could turn his hand at writing material instead of playing along and jumping up and down. The past two years have seen Dex record an EP turned demo album and acquire a professional mic which makes him some sort of big shot (it doesn’t).

Thursday, January 3, 2013

It's time for SpinTunes #6. The rules are in place. New judges are in place (mostly) & they will be working on the challenges soon. Now it's time to see who will be competing in SpinTunes #6.I will need everyone who wants to participate to copy & paste the following text into their e-mail. Fill in the needed info, and then e-mail it to me at the address I provided below. Make sure you put "Spintown Contest" as the subject of the e-mail so I don't think it's spam. Also use an e-mail that I can reach you at if need be. Don't panic if you don't get a confirmation e-mail immediately after signing up. I'll message you back within 24 hours of getting your e-mail.

I _____________ give Travis Langworthy permission to upload any music I submit into his contest onto his blog (Spintown) & bandcamp. I realize it will become part of an album consisting of numerous other artists, and that it will be available for anyone to download for free. I also promise to give my very best effort in each round to complete the challenges. Providing NEW songs that have not been released before in any form. I also agree that anything that goes wrong during this competition is Heather's fault.Name: (The name you or your group wants to be referred to during the competition.)Bio: (Give a brief description of your group/music/history in 500 CHARACTERS or less. I know it's brief, but it's more than Twitter allows. :p Besides, links to your sites will be provided if people want to learn more about you. No URL’s or links will be allowed in the bio section.)Twitter: (If you got one & want to share. *optional* If there's multiple accounts for multiple band members that's fine.)YouTube: (If you got one & want to share. *optional*)Band Website: (If it's different than either of the above. *optional*)Pictures: (I need a band picture or logo. The image should be 100x100, and if it's not I'll do my best to make it so. Don't forget to actually attach the picture.)Judges:Here's a list of the people that will be making the challenges, reviewing your work & of course voting on the songs:1.Travis Norris - The current SpinTunes champion & veteran of Song Fu.2.Debs And Errol - A Toronto-based musical comedy duo.3.Graham Porter - A Nur Ein & SpinTunes veteran.4.Paul Potts - A Masters Of Song Fu & SpinTunes veteran.5. Niveous Devilchild - The creator of Nur Ein, the toughest online songwriting contest ever.Schedule:Sign ups will last until January 17th 11:59PM R.The first challenge will be posted January 19th 1AM Sat.My best guess as to what the whole schedule will look like can be found HERE.

This schedule is a bit flexible, but it's my goal to stick to it. If there are any changes made to the schedule, I'll mention it in a blog post & on the @SpinTunes Twitter account.
This schedule is in Cincinnati time. Don't know the time in Cincinnati? Google is your friend....and I usually keep a timer counting down for the important deadlines. You can find a link to that timer right under the SpinTunes banner up above.

January 4th (Fri) - Sign ups start.

January 17th 11:59PM (R) - Sign ups end.

January 18th 1AM (F) - Profiles get posted.

January 19th 1AM (Sat) - First challenge is announced.

January 27th 11:59PM (Sun) - First song deadline.

January 28th 8PM (Mon) - Listening party will be held HERE, and hosted by Tom.

January 29th (T) - Songs are made available for free download on BandCamp.

*During this gap:- judges will rank the songs- judges will review the songs*

February 2nd before noon (Sat) - Judges reviews are due.

February 2nd before 11PM (Sat) - Reviews & Eliminations are posted.

February 3rd 1AM (Sun) - Second challenge is announced.

February 10th 11:59PM (Sun) - Second song deadline.

February 11th 8PM (M) - Listening party will be held HERE, and hosted by Tom.

February 12th (T) - Songs are made available for free download on BandCamp.

*During this gap:- judges will rank the songs- judges will review the songs*

February 15th before 11PM (F) - Judges reviews are due.

February 16th before 11PM (Sat) - Reviews & Eliminations are posted.

February 17th 1AM (Sun) - Third challenge is announced.

February 24th 11:59PM (Sun) - Third song deadline.

February 25th 8PM (M) - Listening party will be held HERE, and hosted by Tom.

February 26th (T) - Songs are made available for free download on BandCamp.

*During this gap:- judges will rank the songs- judges will review the songs*

March 1st before 11PM (F) - Judges reviews are due.

March 2nd before 11PM (Sat) - Reviews & Eliminations are posted.

March 3rd 1AM (Sun) - Final challenge is announced.

March 10th 11:59PM (Sun) - Final song deadline.

March 11th 8PM (M) - Listening party will be held HERE, and hosted by Tom.

March 12th (T) - Songs are made available for free download on BandCamp.

*During this gap:- previously eliminated competitors will rank the songs- judges will rank the songs- judges will review the songs*

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

These rules are not up for discussion at the moment. That time has passed. If something is confusing, needs clarification, if you just think I made a mistake or forgot something feel free to mention your concern in the comments below. It will be addressed in good time.Schedule:It will have a similar schedule to SpinTunes #4. There will be 4 rounds. You will have 8-11 days to write, record & send in your song. There will be a short break between each round. During this time the song will be voted on, reviewed & prep for the next round will be made. For more info click:HERE.Judges Voting:There will be 5 judges who are not participating in the contest, but will be allowed to shadow. Each round they will individually rate all the songs from favorite to least favorite. Then the judges scores will be posted & added up. Here's an example of what the judges scoring would look like:Popular Vote:Popular vote will still be a tie breaker, but it will also be a way for people to earn points toward their overall round score. In round 1 the popular vote will be scored like a judges ranking. In rounds 2-4 the popular vote only counts as a tie breaker.If there is a tie in the popular vote in round 1, whoever turned their song in first will rank higher.Eliminations:Each round people will be eliminated from the competition. The number of eliminations each round will not be known until after the round 1 songs are turned in. I want the number of people eliminated in rounds 1-3 to be the same (or close to the same), and 4 people left for the final round. So if 25 people submit songs for round 1: 7 people would be eliminated in round 1, 2 & 3....leaving 4 people in the final round. More details to be posted when the round 1 deadline has passed.This is not a head to head contest, each round the competitors with the lowest vote totals are eliminated. After the eliminations all the point totals goes back to 0. You don't get to keep points from previous rounds.Ties are settled by a popular vote in the form of a poll I'll start for each round. If somehow that is a tie as well, the point totals from the previous round will decide the winner. If by some miracle everything is tied, the final deciding factor is me.Final Round:In the last round, everyone who has been eliminated (who also submitted at least 1 song) will be allowed to rank the songs. This round the judges have no say in matters, but they will still be required to review each song. Rules for a tie are altered just a bit. Popular vote is the first deciding factor, then the judges, and then I am the last deciding factor.Challenges:The challenges will be similar to the oldSong Fu & "Non Optional"Nur Einchallenges. If you go through the old challenges you'll see that they could be anything. You could be given a theme, restrictions, a technical challenge and hopefully you're forced to do things you've never done before. The challenges will be created by myself & the other judges before the contest even starts.Submitting Entries:- Entries must be received by the given deadline. Otherwise it'll be posted as a shadow. Received means that it has to appear in my e-mail inbox by the given deadline. I will be going by the time stamp on the e-mail in my inbox. PLEASE do not wait until the last hour to send me something. If there is a blackout in your area, your computer crashes, or your dog actually eats your thumb drive...I will not care. You are allowed to send in a draft of your song early just in case something horrible happens & you miss the deadline. Then you can add polish to your song & send in a better version closer to the deadline. 1 minute late is still late people.- Send your file in a format that Bandcamp accepts. (.aiff, .wav or .flac) (at least 16-bit/44.1kHz) You can find the specific requirements for Bandcamp filesHERE. You do not need to send in MP3's.- Name your file the song's title, but without spaces & punctuation.- Title of the e-mail should be the title of the Challenge & your band's name.- Include the song lyrics in the body of the e-mail. (If your song doesn't have lyrics...consider yourself eliminated. Instrumentals can be pretty, but SpinTunes does require lyrics.)- Include information on anyone that needs credited if you collabed with someone.- File sharing options if you need them:YouSendIt,Sound Cloud,Drop Box, RapidShare, ZShare &MediaFire. Please send an e-mail as I already stated, but with the download link if you need one of these services. Please follow directions so your file doesn't wind up in my spam or trash folder accidentally.- If you have aBandCamp account, you can just send me a link to your song on BandCamp if you include all the info I mentioned above. Make sure you have it set as a free download, and have it set so that I don't have to put in an e-mail to download it if you pick this option. THIS IS THE BEST FILE SHARING OPTION!Hosting:Each round I'll be uploading the songs ontoBandCamp as an album. The songs will be set for free download only.BandCamp makes it easy to download songs, you can share 1 song individually or the album as a whole.If you want to be entered into the contest, your song must be on the album & made available to everyone for free. Otherwise you are DQed from the contest.Prize:I didn't plan on there being a prize. No trophy. No cash. I’ll be happy to mail you a t-shirt that says you’re the new champion, but the real prize is knowing you won & the music itself. If you need gifts & thousands of fans to motivate you to write songs in this competiton...it ain't for you.The winner will be allowed to be a judge in the next competition, unless they wish to compete.Listening Party:Tom Giarrosso will be hosting the listening party for each round (he will also help with uploading). Hopefully we can all get together in one virtual place while the songs are played for the very first time for people.Meet The Judges:Here's a list of the people that will be making the challenges, reviewing your work & of course voting on the songs:1. Travis Norris - The current SpinTunes champion & veteran of Song Fu.2. Debs And Errol - A Toronto-based musical comedy duo.3. Graham Porter - A Nur Ein & SpinTunes veteran.4. Paul Potts - A Masters Of Song Fu & SpinTunes veteran.5. Niveous Devilchild - The creator of Nur Ein, the toughest online songwriting contest ever.* I am the alternate judge. If a judge is unable to do his/her job, I'll step in and take over. If the judge has to withdraw from the contest totally, I'll fill in until I can find a replacement. If I happen to have a guest judge lined up already, there will be no need for me to step in as alternate. (Buck stops with me, but then I blame Heather.)* There could be "Guest Judges" who drop by from time to time. A guest judge has to be approved by me ahead of time. I'm not promising anything, but if I can swing something cool for you all I want to leave that open as a possibility. When a guest judge ranks & reviews a round, it does count toward the scores for the round. If a song is disqualified by the regular judges, the guest judge's rankings will be edited to stay in line with the judges decision. There will be 1 or 2 guest judges each round if I can swing it. No promises though.Judge Responsibilities:- Reviewing entries each round. Shadow entries don't have to be reviewed, but it would be nice if you found the time. You can type up your review or you can vlog it on YouTube. If you decide to Vlog your review on YouTube, it needs to be kept private until after I post the reviews on the blog.- Making the challenges via a super secret website I set up.- After the songs get posted each round the judges will be allowed to post their thoughts on who failed to met the challenge. (in the super secret location) 48 hours after the songs get posted we need to have a decision on what songs did or didn't meet the challenge. If you don't speak up in that window of time you'll have to live with a decision I make on my own.Any judge who does not go along with a decision about a DQ will not have their rankings count for that particular round. However I will post any reviews they provide. Hopefully this does not happen again.Twitter:For those of you that don't want to check this blog every day, but also use Twitter, I'll be posting updates on Twitter as well.@SpinTunes was created just for this contest. You can unfollow it right after the contest if you want, my ego can take it. There is a Twitter list that includes all the judges & competitors (SpinTunes List). Well, at least all the ones I know that are on Twitter.Song Sharing:You are allowed to share your songs before the LP. In my opinion the songs will be better if you can go to another musician in this contest, share what you've got & get feedback. So if you want to share with a few friends or fellow competitors before the listening party feel free to do so.However...I would prefer it if you kept it low key, and not pimp it all over the net (via Twitter, YouTube, etc...) until after the LP, but that's up to you as well. It does take a little excitement away from the LP if people have already heard the songs. Common sense. Just don't try to get feedback from a judge, or from me since I'm an alternate.Rerecording & Remixes:In previous contests some people sent their song in ON TIME, but then after the deadline wanted me to post an updated version onto the album (they added bells & whistles). My response to that is ok, BUT you will be judged by what you turned in before the deadline. So anyone who decides they want to make a better mix of their song, and have it replace the one they sent before...that's fine. Send me the info, and I'll switch the files out. I might not do it instantly, but it will be done. Now I'm not going to have someone send me a new mix every month because they like remixing their own stuff all the time, but I'll allow 1 update of each song down the road. These songs are something you should be proud of, and some people are bugged by not being able to add everything they want in that small window I give them...so hopefully this helps...while still being fair.In the end, album order is determined by how you scored in the round. But until the judges have scored the round, album order is originally determined by submission order. Your order on the album will change if you send in an updated file.Multiple Songs:You can enter 1 song each round until you are eliminated. There is no limit on how many shadow songs you can enter each round though. If you are still in the contest & have multiple songs you wish to enter, you just have to pick 1 song to be your official entry, while the other is listed as a shadow song.You are not allowed to enter the contest as a part of more than 1 group. So if you enter as yourself, you will not be allowed to enter again as a part of another band

Wrap Up:
I will once again be busy with work, moving & other tasks while this contest is underway. I will enlist the help of judges & a few other trusted members of our community to help out from time to time. Don't be shocked if someone other than myself responds to you via one of the SpinTunes social media outlets.